Becoming accustomed to moving frequently, 13-year-old Lenora ("Leni") is whisked off to the wilds of Alaska when her father, a Vietnam vet and former POW, inherits a cabin and land from one of his war buddies. Her father, psychologically damaged from the war, has never been quite the same since his return and he finds it hard to keep a job, so he jumps on the opportunity to once again move his family and start a new life mostly off-the-grid. Though they are ill-prepared for the rough and isolated life of wilderness Alaska, Leni and her parents rely on their few but close-knit band of neighbors to help them out, and soon they have carved out a plausible existence in the brutal but beautiful Alaskan wilderness. But as the days become shorter and darker, Leni's father's mental state also becomes darker, and Leni is forced to witness her father's increasing acts of violence toward her mother.

I've said this before several times: I have such mixed feelings about Kristin Hannah's novels. I really like her stories, but I feel her writing leaves something to be desired, and at this point I've read a few of both her older and newer novels. And while this may or may not be my favorite of hers thus far, I do feel like she turned a corner with this one. Maybe better editing, but I'd like to think she's maturing as a writer and becoming more polished. At any rate, while this novel started out somewhat slow and I wasn't really gripped until about halfway through, it definitely picked up. Some dark subject matter here, and while some of the plot was predictable, other parts were not. It's not a 5-star read for me as it has been for many readers, but it certainly deserves a recommendation. ( )

FROM AMAZON: A desperate family seeks a new beginning in the near-isolated wilderness of Alaska only to find that their unpredictable environment is less threatening than the erratic behavior found in human nature.

Alaska, 1974. Ernt Allbright came home from the Vietnam War a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes the impulsive decision to move his wife and daughter north where they will live off the grid in America’s last true frontier.

Cora will do anything for the man she loves, even if means following him into the unknown. Thirteen-year-old Leni, caught in the riptide of her parents’ passionate, stormy relationship, has little choice but to go along, daring to hope this new land promises her family a better future.

In a wild, remote corner of Alaska, the Allbrights find a fiercely independent community of strong men and even stronger women. The long, sunlit days and the generosity of the locals make up for the newcomers’ lack of preparation and dwindling resources.

But as winter approaches and darkness descends, Ernt’s fragile mental state deteriorates. Soon the perils outside pale in comparison to threats from within. In their small cabin, covered in snow, blanketed in eighteen hours of night, Leni and her mother learn the terrible truth: they are on their own. ( )

This epic novel about Alaska is a beautifully constructed story about an abusive husband with PTSD, his wife and daughter moving to the Great Alone to make an unpolluted start. Descriptive detailed research makes the reading a rich experience. There are times that the romantic elements overtake the story arc. Luckily these episodes are infrequent. There are enough surprise turns that you can forgive any predictable outcomes. Cathartic tears will finish you off at the end. ( )

Loved the character development & twisty end ( )

THIS TOOK ME OVER A MONTH TO READ but im so glad i finally did. love this book, its ingrained into my brain and i think abt it all the time. this book was so well written in my opinion, the characters felt very real and the descriptions of alaska and winter and survival will never leave my brain. theres so many amazing lines about motherhood, justice for women and family dynamics and i couldnt stop annotating. it was hard to read at times and dats also why it took me so long to finish coz i needed breaks but i love this book anyways. ( )